With Thanksgiving right around the corner, local families, businesses, schools and churches are putting their gratitude into action and celebrating their blessings by giving back. Through Operation Christmas Child, residents are joining tens of thousands of people from across the U.S. to fill empty shoe boxes with toys, school supplies and necessity items for impoverished children around the world.

The Orrington collection site will be bustling with activity as thousands of colorfully wrapped shoe box gifts are dropped off by residents. Dozens of local volunteers will be working hard, packing and transporting the boxes to the next stop on their journey to a child in need.

Orrington-area residents hope to contribute more than 7,000 shoe box gifts to this year’s global collection goal of 9 million gift-filled shoe boxes in order to help surpass the 100 million milestone.

National Collection Week: Nov. 12−19

Lighthouse Church of God

696 River Road

Orrington, ME 04474

(800) 353-5949

Mon - Nov 12: 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Tues - Nov 13: 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Wed - Nov 14: 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Thur - Nov 15: 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Fri - Nov 16: 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Sat - Nov 17: 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Sun - Nov 18: 1 p.m. - 3 p.m.

Mon - Nov 19: 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.

In 2012, Operation Christmas Child expects to reach a milestone—collecting and delivering shoe boxes to more than 100 million children since the project began in 1993.

Once dropped off, the shoe boxes are processed, prepared and transported to suffering children in more than 100 countries using whatever means necessary—trains, airplanes, boats, elephants, bikes and even dog sleds—to get the shoe boxes into the hands of needy kids.

Operation Christmas Child, a project of international Christian relief organization Samaritan’s Purse, headed by Franklin Graham, is the world’s largest Christmas project of its kind. Through the power of a simple gift and its message of hope, children learn they are loved and not forgotten. For many of these children, the shoe box gift will be the first gift they’ve ever received.

By using special tracking technology, participants can “follow” their shoe box and discover the country in which their gift will be hand-delivered to a child in need. To register your shoe box gift, use the “Follow Your Box” form online.

Anyone can participate in Operation Christmas Child. The time to pack a shoe box gift is now! For more information on how to participate in Operation Christmas Child, or to find the nearest drop-off site, call (518) 437-0690 or visit www.SamaritansPurse.org/OCC.